COLLINGWOOD midfielder Luke Ball says he was offended by some of the accusations that have been flying around this week about the Magpies.
Essendon chairman Paul Little has hit back at allegations made that Bombers' coach James Hird had been suspicious about what Collingwood, Hawthorn and West Coast were doing to improve the fitness of their players.
"Contrary to what was claimed, James Hird and Essendon have never held the view that Collingwood, West Coast or Hawthorn have been involved with illegal or prohibited supplements," Little said on Thursday.
"The suggestion James Hird has or had knowledge of the supply of such substances to Collingwood is both damaging and incorrect."
Little blasted Channel Seven's interview with Essendon's former fitness coach Dean Robinson as an unfounded, personal attack on Hird.
Ball was keen on Thursday to defend his club Collingwood.
"My first reaction last night (Wednesday night) when I heard that was to take offence, to take exception," Ball told Channel Nine's The Footy Show.
"Essendon have released that statement that was shown before, Collingwood have released a statement... As far as the players are concerned, that's all there is to it."
Injured midfielder Dale Thomas said on Nova 100's Hughesy and Kate program: “Firstly it is a pretty big accusation.. I can categorically deny that we have never had a supplement program of any growth hormone or anything that was accused in that piece just then.
"I have never had an injection apart from a flu shot at the Collingwood Football Club.
"It is obviously the first time I’ve heard it. It’s a big accusation, a big claim. I think the whole thing about this is its innuendo and rumour and he said, she said kind of stuff.
"It has been a long ordeal and the sooner it comes out and everyone knows the truth ... we will be better for it as a game. Until then, I guess we can have these people making wild accusations and having their say and people believing or not believing or choosing to believe whatever they want."
Collingwood CEO Gary Pert said on 3AW that during Robinson's interview he was contacted by Hird.
Pert said Hird denied Robinson's claim that he suspected Collingwood players used a human growth hormone.
"Before the show had finished we had already been contacted by Hirdy who said it was all rubbish and he hadn't made any comments and the AFL had backed that up," Pert said.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said in Fairfax Media the accusation was a ''total shock''.
''I nearly spat my cornflakes across the room [when I saw it] ... It's got nothing to do with us and ... the story was more about giving an insight into what was happening at Windy Hill or their thought process at the time.''
